Evaluation of a new, perforated heat flux plate design

Accurate measurement of heat flux is essential to optimize structural and process design and to improve understanding of energy transfer in natural systems. Laboratory and field experiments evaluated the performance of a new, perforated heat flux plate designed to reduce flow distortion for environmental applications. Laboratory tests involving dry and saturated sand showed that performance of the new CAPTEC plate is comparable to a solid, standard REBS plate. Very low thermal gradients may have however led to poor performance of the CAPTEC plate in saturated sand. Water infiltration and redistribution experiments using clayey and sandy soils showed an apparent reduced disruption of liquid water and vapour in the soil surrounding the CAPTEC plate as compared to solid Hukseflux and standard REBS plates. Surface area of REBS plate, though smaller than that of CAPTEC, did not lead to any significantly improved evaporation, due to perforations on CAPTEC plate. Field tests in a loam soil indicated that the CAPTEC plates were durable and produced daily total flux values within ~ 0.15 MJ m− 2 of independent estimates

Neuronal Alterations and Antioxidant Status of Lipopolysaccharide Induced Neuronal damage in Mice: Eff icacy of Three Medicinal Plants

Background: Several factors including neuroinflammation and oxidative stress formation contribute to the progression and development of cognitive impairment. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection has been used as non - transgenic mouse models for Alzheimer’s diseases (AD). Plant medicine has been proposed to be the prospect in treatment/ management of neurodegenerative disease. Aim: The present study sought to evaluate the effect of three medicinal plants ( Bacopa floribunda (R.Br)Wettst , Scoparia dulcis L and Cordia millenii Bak . ) locally used for memory enhancement on neuronal histology and antioxidant status against L ipopolysaccharide induced neuronal damage in mice . Methods: Forty - nine (49) BALB/c male mice were randomly grouped into seven (7) groups of 7 mice each. All animals except in group I control (vehicle), were injected intraperitoneally (I.P.) with LPS (250 μg/kg) once, after oral pre - treatment with plant extracts an d control drugs for 7 days. Group II (untreated) received LPS only (250 μg/kg) , group III received LPS + Sulindac Sulfide (SS, 4 mg/kg), group IV received LPS + Donepezil (DPZ, 1 mg/kg) group V, VI, and VII received LPS + 200 mg/kg of plant extracts [ Sco paria dulcis (SD), Bacopa floribunda (BF), and Cordia millenii (CM)] respectively. After the experiment, histological analysis of the hippocampus from the whole brain was carried out while the other brain tissue s comprising frontal cortex and cerebellum we re used for determination of biomarkers of antioxidant status such as catalase (CAT); superoxide dismutase (SOD); malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH). Results: Oral administration of LPS induced neuronal damage through cell death as eviden ced by the histological analysis and altered brain antioxidant status in mice. However, the plant extracts were able to prevent such neuronal alterations and restored the antioxidant status when compared to the LPS induced neuronal damage in mice. Conclusi on: LPS induced neuroinflammation was prevented by the extracts of; B. floribunda, S. dulcis and C. millenni. Neural damage was also prevented by the extracts. This activity could be attributed to their antioxidant potential as evidenced from their inhibit ory effect on MDA and increased CAT activity and GSH. Nevertheless, other possible mechanisms of action against neuronal damage need to be assessed to further justify their use traditionally in the treatment/management of neurodegenerative disease

The role of solvent additive in metal nano-composite doped thin film organic solar cell

In this study, organic solar cells (OSCs) were designed using the solution processing method based on spin coating. The influence of solvent additive (1-chloronapthalene (CN)) and cadmium doped barium nitrate nanoparticle incorporated into the photoactive medium based on poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5- diyl (P3HT): [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) was investigated. The power conversion efficiency of the pristine device was compared to the power conversion efficiency of the devices fabricated with 30v% of 1- chloronapthalene and different weight concentrations of nanoparticles. An optimum efficiency of 3.55 % was attained at 0.3 wt.% with solvent additive compared to 3.25 % obtained for the pristine device. This increase is attributed to a rise in charge transport of 5.32 × 10-2 cm2V-1s-1. Further investigation on the morphological properties of the nanoparticles reveals the crystalline nature of the nanoparticle

Dataset on noise level measurement in Ota metropolis, Nigeria

Datasets contained in this article are noise level measurementcarried out at 41 different locations in Ota metropolis, Nigeria. Thenoise readings were measured at a time interval of 30 min for eachsite considered using a precision grade sound level meter. Theanalysis was based on the noise descriptors LAeq,L10,L90,LD, TNIand NEI. Results from the study reflects that the highest and lowestequivalent noise levels (LAeq) were recorded at commercial areas(96 dB (A)) and residential areas (52 dB (A)), respectively, thebackground noise level (L90) has the highest and lowest values atcommercial areas (77 dB (A)) and residential areas (44 dB (A)),respectively and the peak value (L10) has the highest value andlowest value at the commercial areas (96 dB (A)) and residentialareas (56 dB (A)). Based on the WHO recommendations and stan-dards, only 2 out of the 41 locations considered are under normallyacceptable situation while the noise levels of other areas are notacceptable. Noise map developed in this study provides enoughinformation for technical controls and interim legislation againstenvironmental noise pollution in the metropolis. Moreover, con-sidering the noise emission standards, planning and promoting thecitizens awareness about the high noise risk could help to mitigatethe effect of noise in Ota, Metropolis. The noise data in this study are useful as reference and guideline for future regulations onnoise limit to be implemented for urban areas in Nigeria anddeveloping countries at large

Novel functional insights into ischemic stroke biology provided by the first genome-wide association study of stroke in indigenous Africans

\ua9 The Author(s) 2024. Background: African ancestry populations have the highest burden of stroke worldwide, yet the genetic basis of stroke in these populations is obscure. The Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network (SIREN) is a multicenter study involving 16 sites in West Africa. We conducted the first-ever genome-wide association study (GWAS) of stroke in indigenous Africans. Methods: Cases were consecutively recruited consenting adults (aged > 18 years) with neuroimaging-confirmed ischemic stroke. Stroke-free controls were ascertained using a locally validated Questionnaire for Verifying Stroke-Free Status. DNA genotyping with the H3Africa array was performed, and following initial quality control, GWAS datasets were imputed into the NIH Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) release2 from BioData Catalyst. Furthermore, we performed fine-mapping, trans-ethnic meta-analysis, and in silico functional characterization to identify likely causal variants with a functional interpretation. Results: We observed genome-wide significant (P-value < 5.0E−8) SNPs associations near AADACL2 and miRNA (MIR5186) genes in chromosome 3 after adjusting for hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and cardiac status in the base model as covariates. SNPs near the miRNA (MIR4458) gene in chromosome 5 were also associated with stroke (P-value < 1.0E−6). The putative genes near AADACL2, MIR5186, and MIR4458 genes were protective and novel. SNPs associations with stroke in chromosome 2 were more than 77 kb from the closest gene LINC01854 and SNPs in chromosome 7 were more than 116 kb to the closest gene LINC01446 (P-value < 1.0E−6). In addition, we observed SNPs in genes STXBP5-AS1 (chromosome 6), GALTN9 (chromosome 12), FANCA (chromosome 16), and DLGAP1 (chromosome 18) (P-value < 1.0E−6). Both genomic regions near genes AADACL2 and MIR4458 remained significant following fine mapping. Conclusions: Our findings identify potential roles of regulatory miRNA, intergenic non-coding DNA, and intronic non-coding RNA in the biology of ischemic stroke. These findings reveal new molecular targets that promise to help close the current gaps in accurate African ancestry-based genetic stroke’s risk prediction and development of new targeted interventions to prevent or treat stroke

Dementia in Africa: Current evidence, knowledge gaps, and future directions

\ua9 2021 the Alzheimer\u27s Association. In tandem with the ever-increasing aging population in low and middle-income countries, the burden of dementia is rising on the African continent. Dementia prevalence varies from 2.3% to 20.0% and incidence rates are 13.3 per 1000 person-years with increasing mortality in parts of rapidly transforming Africa. Differences in nutrition, cardiovascular factors, comorbidities, infections, mortality, and detection likely contribute to lower incidence. Alzheimer\u27s disease, vascular dementia, and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome–associated neurocognitive disorders are the most common dementia subtypes. Comprehensive longitudinal studies with robust methodology and regional coverage would provide more reliable information. The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele is most studied but has shown differential effects within African ancestry compared to Caucasian. More candidate gene and genome-wide association studies are needed to relate to dementia phenotypes. Validated culture-sensitive cognitive tools not influenced by education and language differences are critically needed for implementation across multidisciplinary groupings such as the proposed African Dementia Consortium

Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Rigorous analysis of levels and trends in exposure to leading risk factors and quantification of their effect on human health are important to identify where public health is making progress and in which cases current efforts are inadequate. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 provides a standardised and comprehensive assessment of the magnitude of risk factor exposure, relative risk, and attributable burden of disease. Methods GBD 2019 estimated attributable mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years of life lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 87 risk factors and combinations of risk factors, at the global level, regionally, and for 204 countries and territories. GBD uses a hierarchical list of risk factors so that specific risk factors (eg, sodium intake), and related aggregates (eg, diet quality), are both evaluated. This method has six analytical steps. (1) We included 560 risk-outcome pairs that met criteria for convincing or probable evidence on the basis of research studies. 12 risk-outcome pairs included in GBD 2017 no longer met inclusion criteria and 47 risk-outcome pairs for risks already included in GBD 2017 were added based on new evidence. (2) Relative risks were estimated as a function of exposure based on published systematic reviews, 81 systematic reviews done for GBD 2019, and meta-regression. (3) Levels of exposure in each age-sex-location-year included in the study were estimated based on all available data sources using spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression, DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression method, or alternative methods. (4) We determined, from published trials or cohort studies, the level of exposure associated with minimum risk, called the theoretical minimum risk exposure level. (5) Attributable deaths, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs were computed by multiplying population attributable fractions (PAFs) by the relevant outcome quantity for each age-sex-location-year. (6) PAFs and attributable burden for combinations of risk factors were estimated taking into account mediation of different risk factors through other risk factors. Across all six analytical steps, 30 652 distinct data sources were used in the analysis. Uncertainty in each step of the analysis was propagated into the final estimates of attributable burden. Exposure levels for dichotomous, polytomous, and continuous risk factors were summarised with use of the summary exposure value to facilitate comparisons over time, across location, and across risks. Because the entire time series from 1990 to 2019 has been re-estimated with use of consistent data and methods, these results supersede previously published GBD estimates of attributable burden. Findings The largest declines in risk exposure from 2010 to 2019 were among a set of risks that are strongly linked to social and economic development, including household air pollution; unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing; and child growth failure. Global declines also occurred for tobacco smoking and lead exposure. The largest increases in risk exposure were for ambient particulate matter pollution, drug use, high fasting plasma glucose, and high body-mass index. In 2019, the leading Level 2 risk factor globally for attributable deaths was high systolic blood pressure, which accounted for 10.8 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 9.51-12.1) deaths (19.2% [16.9-21.3] of all deaths in 2019), followed by tobacco (smoked, second-hand, and chewing), which accounted for 8.71 million (8.12-9.31) deaths (15.4% [14.6-16.2] of all deaths in 2019). The leading Level 2 risk factor for attributable DALYs globally in 2019 was child and maternal malnutrition, which largely affects health in the youngest age groups and accounted for 295 million (253-350) DALYs (11.6% [10.3-13.1] of all global DALYs that year). The risk factor burden varied considerably in 2019 between age groups and locations. Among children aged 0-9 years, the three leading detailed risk factors for attributable DALYs were all related to malnutrition. Iron deficiency was the leading risk factor for those aged 10-24 years, alcohol use for those aged 25-49 years, and high systolic blood pressure for those aged 50-74 years and 75 years and older. Interpretation Overall, the record for reducing exposure to harmful risks over the past three decades is poor. Success with reducing smoking and lead exposure through regulatory policy might point the way for a stronger role for public policy on other risks in addition to continued efforts to provide information on risk factor harm to the general public

Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background In an era of shifting global agendas and expanded emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries along with communicable diseases, sound evidence on trends by cause at the national level is essential. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides a systematic scientific assessment of published, publicly available, and contributed data on incidence, prevalence, and mortality for a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of diseases and injuries. Methods GBD estimates incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 369 diseases and injuries, for two sexes, and for 204 countries and territories. Input data were extracted from censuses, household surveys, civil registration and vital statistics, disease registries, health service use, air pollution monitors, satellite imaging, disease notifications, and other sources. Cause-specific death rates and cause fractions were calculated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression. Cause-specific deaths were adjusted to match the total all-cause deaths calculated as part of the GBD population, fertility, and mortality estimates. Deaths were multiplied by standard life expectancy at each age to calculate YLLs. A Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, was used to ensure consistency between incidence, prevalence, remission, excess mortality, and cause-specific mortality for most causes. Prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights for mutually exclusive sequelae of diseases and injuries to calculate YLDs. We considered results in the context of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and fertility rate in females younger than 25 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered 1000 draw values of the posterior distribution. Findings Global health has steadily improved over the past 30 years as measured by age-standardised DALY rates. After taking into account population growth and ageing, the absolute number of DALYs has remained stable. Since 2010, the pace of decline in global age-standardised DALY rates has accelerated in age groups younger than 50 years compared with the 1990-2010 time period, with the greatest annualised rate of decline occurring in the 0-9-year age group. Six infectious diseases were among the top ten causes of DALYs in children younger than 10 years in 2019: lower respiratory infections (ranked second), diarrhoeal diseases (third), malaria (fifth), meningitis (sixth), whooping cough (ninth), and sexually transmitted infections (which, in this age group, is fully accounted for by congenital syphilis; ranked tenth). In adolescents aged 10-24 years, three injury causes were among the top causes of DALYs: road injuries (ranked first), self-harm (third), and interpersonal violence (fifth). Five of the causes that were in the top ten for ages 10-24 years were also in the top ten in the 25-49-year age group: road injuries (ranked first), HIV/AIDS (second), low back pain (fourth), headache disorders (fifth), and depressive disorders (sixth). In 2019, ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the top-ranked causes of DALYs in both the 50-74-year and 75-years-and-older age groups. Since 1990, there has been a marked shift towards a greater proportion of burden due to YLDs from non-communicable diseases and injuries. In 2019, there were 11 countries where non-communicable disease and injury YLDs constituted more than half of all disease burden. Decreases in age-standardised DALY rates have accelerated over the past decade in countries at the lower end of the SDI range, while improvements have started to stagnate or even reverse in countries with higher SDI. Interpretation As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and development investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identify success stories of disease control to emulate, as well as opportunities to improve

Comparison of the microbial composition of African fermented foods using amplicon sequencing

Fermented foods play a major role in the diet of people in Africa, where a wide variety of raw materials are fermented. Understanding the microbial populations of these products would help in the design of specific starter cultures to produce standardized and safer foods. In this study, the bacterial diversity of African fermented foods produced from several raw materials (cereals, milk, cassava, honey, palm sap, and locust beans) under different conditions (household, small commercial producers or laboratory) in 8 African countries was analysed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing during the Workshop “Analysis of the Microbiomes of Naturally Fermented Foods Training Course”. Results show that lactobacilli were less abundant in fermentations performed under laboratory conditions compared to artisanal or commercial fermentations. Excluding the samples produced under laboratory conditions, lactobacilli is one of the dominant groups in all the remaining samples. Genera within the order Lactobacillales dominated dairy, cereal and cassava fermentations. Genera within the order Lactobacillales, and genera Zymomonas and Bacillus were predominant in alcoholic beverages, whereas Bacillus and Lactobacillus were the dominant genera in the locust bean sample. The genus Zymomonas was reported for the first time in dairy, cereal, cassava and locust bean fermentations

Etiology of Diarrhea in Older Children, Adolescents and Adults: A Systematic Review

Diarrhea is an important cause of illness and death around the world and among people of all ages, but unfortunately we often do not know what specific bacterium or virus causes the illness. We conducted a review of the scientific literature with the goal of finding published studies that identified bacteria and viruses among patients with diarrhea in the community and in hospital settings. We initially found nearly 26,000 papers on this topic but narrowed the list to 22 studies that met all of our specific criteria for inclusion in our review. Among patients hospitalized for diarrhea, E coli and Vibrio cholerae were found in more than 49% of people living in middle income and poor countries. Among patients who sought care from their doctor on an outpatient basis, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and E. histolytica were most often found. In our review we focused on the differences in the distribution of pathogens between patients in inpatient vs. outpatient settings because these estimates may best approximate what we would expect to see if the distribution were applied to global estimates of diarrhea deaths vs. uncomplicated illnesses